Process Steps
What steps are involved?
The Erasmus+ steps are outlined briefly on the next page. Students sometimes get confused by the different requirements, so they’re described in more detail on the following pages.
Please note that all University of Galway students going on mobility abroad are required to complete a Mobility Assessment. This is not covered in the present handbook as it is a University requirement and not a formal element of the Erasmus+ Programme. As such, you will carry out the mandatory Mobility Assessment in conjunction with your University of Galway School or College.
University of Galway Erasmus+ Traineeships – Step by Step
- Identify a host organisation and confirm dates. Ensure approval by academic coordinator or programme director. Your placement officer or academic coordinator will send your name and details to the International Office, and you will receive a link to the online Erasmus+ grant application form.
- Complete the online Erasmus+ grant application form by the relevant deadline. You’ll get an email from the International Office confirming receipt of your application and outlining the next steps in the process. The timeline for completing these will depend on the timing of your traineeship.
- If your traineeship will involve the use of a language other than your native tongue, then you should complete an OLS language placement test. The OLS will give you access to free online language courses. It is strongly recommended that you avail of these.
- Liaise with your host organisation and your University of Galway academic coordinator to ensure that your Learning Agreement will be completed BEFORE you begin your traineeship.
- Identify a suitable insurance policy. You will need to provide the details (policy name and number) in your grant agreement.
- Provided that your Learning Agreement is in order, you will receive your grant agreement from the International Office.
- Complete and sign the Erasmus+ grant agreement, emailing one copy to the International Office and keeping the other for your own records.
- Make sure that you send a copy of your completed Learning Agreement to your academic coordinator and to the International Office before your traineeship begins.
- You will receive 80% of your approved Erasmus+ grant as a first instalment. Be sure to return an acknowledgment form to the International Office.
- If something changes during your traineeship (coordinator, supervisor, content of placement, dates, etc.), you must complete the During the Mobility section of the Learning Agreement and return it to your coordinator and the International Office.
- When your traineeship is coming to an end, have your supervisor complete your Traineeship Certificate, and return this to the International Office.
Find a host organisation
First of all, you will need to identify a suitable work placement. A small number of students manage to do this independently, but many are assisted by a Placement Officer at University of Galway. Over the years, relationships have been established with organisations and companies overseas, and these may provide on-going opportunities for our students. Or it may be that in your particular Discipline or School, there are Erasmus+ exchange places available for traineeships at some of our partner universities, in laboratories, or teaching hospitals; in these cases, the relevant academic coordinators may invite students to apply for selection on a competitive basis.
Complete the online Erasmus+ Traineeship Grant Application Form
Once you have secured a placement that meets the conditions described in Section 1.5, you will need to complete an Erasmus+ Grant Application form for University of Galway. You will do this via a web link that will be supplied by the International Office when the relevant Placement Officer or academic coordinator passes your details on to us. The information you provide on this form will be incorporated into our database of traineeship students on Erasmus+, as well as into official European Commission records, so it’s very important that you complete it with care and attention.
The form consists of about 30 questions, mostly very straightforward. Before you begin completing it, you should have your bank details to hand, because you will be asked for your sort code and account number. Look for these on your bank statement. The 8-digit number on your debit card is not your account number!
We will use the bank details you provide on your application form to make your Erasmus+ grant payment.
Find your bank details on your bank statement. Please make sure to enter them correctly.
You will be asked to give the start and finish dates of your traineeship, as well as providing the name and details of your contact person at the host organisation.
When you submit the online application form, you’ll receive a brief email confirming receipt and outlining the next steps in the process. You should aim to deal with the insurance and, if applicable, the OLS language placement test as soon as possible.
Sort out your insurance
The Department of Foreign Affairs recommends that all students going abroad should hold an EHIC and be covered by a comprehensive travel insurance policy. University of Galway requires you to follow this advice.
There are therefore two requirements here:
- A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is essential for every EU citizen travelling to another European country; as a student, it entitles you to necessary healthcare in the public system of any EU/EEA member state. The EHIC provides for basic health cover, but what constitutes basic cover may vary from one country to another, and in some cases the patient will be required to make a contribution to the costs of care in the public health system, so it’s advisable to check the website www.ehic.ie to get precise information on the different countries. You can also apply for the card via that website. One card is needed for each individual or member of a family. You don’t need to send us a copy of your EHIC, but by signing the Erasmus grant agreement you will be confirming that you hold an EHIC (if you are an EU citizen) and that it’s valid for the entire duration of your study visit. The EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance, however, and it’s quite limited in what it covers. Healthcare in a private setting is not included, nor is the cost of repatriation, or the additional travel and accommodation costs that can accrue in a case of illness or an accident abroad. You will also need to be covered for eventualities like cancelled/delayed flights and lost luggage, as well as insuring your personal effects and money. This is where private travel insurance comes in.
- You will need to purchase a private travel insurance policy that also includes cover for accidents, medical treatment, cancellation/curtailment of travel, personal liability, and repatriation, and you must provide the basic details of this policy (insurance provider, policy name and number) in the allocated space in Section 5 of your Grant Agreement. Without these details, your Grant Agreement is not valid and you will not be eligible for an Erasmus+ grant. Please note that you do not need to send us your insurance policy document. Indeed, you may find that some host universities will also require you to provide them with details of your private travel insurance policy.
Your Erasmus+ grant agreement will not be valid, and you will not be eligible for an Erasmus+ grant, unless you have provided the name and number of your private insurance policy in Section 5 of your grant agreement. You must also confirm that the policy is valid for the full duration of your mobility period, including travel dates.
My host organisation tells me it provides insurance, so why do I need to take out private insurance?
The cover, if any, provided by the host is likely to be quite limited. Most organisations that employ staff will have public liability insurance, which means that you will be covered if, while on their premises, you suffer an injury that could be attributed to negligence or some omission on the part of the organisation. Your host organisation might even state that they cover you for accidents at work or on the way to and from work, but this cover could be quite limited in its scope. You should not rely too heavily on insurance cover provided by the host, and besides it will almost certainly not extend to the cost of repatriation (bringing someone home in the event of serious illness/injury or death); it also won’t cover personal liability, and it’s important to be insured for this so that you are covered for any fallout from an incident, including an accident in the workplace, where you were at fault and could be sued.
In very rare cases, the host organisation may provide comprehensive insurance for its traineeship students, even covering them for travel to and from their Erasmus+ destination. If this applies to you, you will need to provide evidence of this insurance to the International Office. Most students, however, will have to purchase a private insurance policy.
It is a mandatory requirement of University of Galway’s Erasmus+ Programme that all outgoing Erasmus+ students hold a private travel insurance policy.
Please make sure to read carefully all the information at www.universityofgalway.ie/erasmus-programme/outgoingstudents/healthinsurance/.
Where can I get help with choosing an insurance policy?
Ultimately, you must make a decision yourself about the insurance policy that’s right for you. There are a number of Insurance providers in Ireland who can provide cover, and you can find a list of some of them on the following University of Galway website, in the drop-down menu under Insurance: www.universityofgalway.ie/international- students/outbounduniversityofgalway/outbound- study-abroad/undergraduatetoolkit/.
There are different levels of cover available, which provide different levels of benefit under the policy, and students are advised to familiarise themselves with the cover types available.
University of Galway Insurance Cover Requirements & Recommendations:
- Medical Expenses to include Repatriation – at least €1 Million
- Personal Liability – at least €500,000
- Cancellation/Curtailment/Rearrangement – Highly recommended
- Baggage /Personal Items/ Money/ Passport – Highly recommended
Other important considerations when purchasing insurance:
- Duration of the policy cover: your Travel Insurance must cover the entire duration of your time abroad.
- Material facts: please ensure you disclose all relevant material facts to your Insurer, e.g., pre-existing medical conditions.
- Covid-19 cover: please ensure you check and review the policy carefully in relation to Covid-19 costs and expenses. Policies differ from one Insurer to another in relation to the coverage offered.
- Excluded Territories: all policies will include an Excluded Territory List. Please ensure you are familiar with same and discuss any issues/concerns with your Insurer.
- Exclusions: please read the policy before purchasing to understand the specific exclusions.
- Holidays/returning home: if you intend to take a holiday during your trip abroad, or return home at any point, please check that this is covered by your policy before travelling.
- Winter Sports: if you intend to participate in any winter sports during your time abroad please ensure this is covered by your policy.
- It’s important to check the policy Terms and Conditions at the time of purchase, as these can change frequently.
Students are reminded that it is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain a policy which satisfies the University requirements and your own needs in advance of departure and to ensure you have adequate cover in place for the duration of your time abroad. Please also make sure to read carefully the information provided at www.universityofgalway.ie/erasmus-programme/outgoingstudents/healthinsurance.
My parents have me on their health insurance plan, so I’m covered, right?
Not necessarily. If you are covered by your own or your parents’ private health insurance plan, you should confirm the actual level of cover you will have while abroad. Ensure that travel, medical treatment, repatriation and personal liability are included. Find out whether there is a stipulation about the duration of any one single trip – for instance, some policies set a limit of 60 days for a single trip, and this clearly wouldn’t cover you for a placement where you will be away continuously for a longer period, although you may be able to arrange “extended stay” cover for a small additional fee. You can establish all of this quite easily by carefully reading the policy document and by contacting the health insurance company directly. You may be able to purchase additional cover for travel insurance if this is not included in an existing health insurance policy. Please note that the International Office will not be able to advise on the suitability of various policies, and the onus is on you to ensure that you are adequately covered.
If the worst happens and you need to make use of your insurance …
Make sure that you keep a record of any emergency numbers provided by the insurance company in case you have to make a claim. Having the details readily to hand will alleviate some of the stress if you are in a difficult situation. Should you find yourself in circumstances where you will have to make a claim, you should contact the insurance company immediately, as a delay in doing this could affect your claim.
Online Language Support (OLS)
If your traineeship is going to involve the use of French, German, Italian, or Spanish, then you should complete a language assessment using this language tool provided by the European Commission. The “placement test” in your target language will give you an indication of your current language skills and then you can avail of free online language courses. Such courses are recommended as a linguistic preparation for your time abroad. For more information, see https://academy.europa.eu/.
The placement test will consist of about 50 questions, and it will evaluate grammar, vocabulary, key communicative phrases, listening, and reading comprehensions. You should take this test on your own, not in collaboration/consultation with fellow students or friends, and without recourse to any dictionaries or online language aids. “Cheating” produces a false picture of your ability. Think of the test as a way for you to assess your own level of competence in the language. The result is intended to be solely for your information, although your host organisation might ask for it too.
How do I take the language test?
- Go to https://academy.europa.eu/.
- You will need to create an account, so click on “Sign Up or Log In”. You’ll provide your e-mail address and will receive a message asking you to create a password. The registration process may be a bit slow.
- Now log in, and where you see “What do you want to learn today?”, type in your target language – for example, type “French”, then click on “French Placement Test”.
- It’s advisable to ensure that you have a strong Wi-Fi signal before you start the test. The whole thing might hang if the signal becomes shaky, but if you just sit tight and wait (don’t refresh the page), you should be able to resume the test where you stopped.
- You’ll be presented with a series of about 50 questions, a mixture of text and audio, increasing in difficulty as you progress.
- When you get to the end, you can review the correct answers, before clicking the Finish button below the numbered grid, and you will be presented with your result according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL). Take a screenshot of your result, showing your name and the grade.
On the CEFRL scale, A1 denotes a very elementary knowledge of a language (A1- is complete beginner level), while C2 indicates a very high-level mastery of the language (though not necessarily native speaker level). Generally it’s recognised that an outgoing Erasmus+ student who will be studying through a foreign language should aim to have a B1 level in that language at the very least, and often the host university would expect them to have attained level B2.
Your OLS placement test result cannot be used to prevent you taking part in Erasmus+, but if you don’t do well in the test, it might be an indication that you need to work on your language skills to bring them up to the recommended level. There are courses available on aforementioned EU Academy website which may help you prepare for Erasmus+.
Learning Agreement
The Learning Agreement is an extremely important document, the cornerstone of your Erasmus+ traineeship. It is dealt with in more detail in section 4. You should start work on it straightaway, so as to make sure that it can be signed by all parties before you begin your traineeship.
Grant Agreement
The Grant Agreement for Erasmus+ Higher Education Traineeships is your financial contract with University of Galway in relation to your Erasmus+ grant, and it must be signed by you before you begin your traineeship or you will not be eligible for an Erasmus+ grant. Please don’t confuse it with the Learning Agreement!
Remember that your grant agreement is only valid when you’ve provided in it the details of your insurance cover. We may also request to see your learning agreement as proof that the host organisation has approved the traineeship and confirmed your start and finish dates. Your Erasmus+ grant will be calculated on the basis of the duration, in days, of your traineeship, and this is why it is so important that we have accurate start and finish dates for you.
Unlike other documents related to your Erasmus+ traineeship, the grant agreement is a legal document and can normally only be issued and signed in hard copy (but at the moment, exceptionally, we are permitted to issue electronic copies, so you can simply email it to us). If the grant agreement is issued electronically, please ensure that you keep a copy.
You will need to insert personal details, bank details and insurance details. Before signing it, please check it over carefully, in particular making sure that the bank details shown on it are accurate. You will be required to add your IBAN and BIC numbers.
Please make sure that the sort code and account number shown on the grant agreement are correct, and don’t forget to fill in your IBAN and BIC numbers.
It’s essential that you sign and return the grant agreement BEFORE you leave to go on Erasmus+, otherwise you will not be eligible for an Erasmus+ grant.
Grant Acknowledgement Form
Find it at www.universityofgalway.ie/erasmus-programme/outgoingstudents/erasmustraineeships/#tab3
After you sign the grant agreement and return it to the International Office, you’ll receive a first instalment of your Erasmus+ grant, equivalent to 80% of the estimated total, based on the dates you’ve given us. You must complete, sign, and return to us a Grant Acknowledgement Form in respect of each grant instalment. If you fail to return the form for the first instalment, you won’t be eligible to receive the final instalment after you’ve returned from your traineeship. This form is available on our website.
“During the Mobility”
This is the middle section of the learning agreement and most students won’t need to complete it. You need only fill it in if something significant changes during your traineeship: for instance, you get a new supervisor, the planned traineeship activities are revised, or your finish date changes. This document should be treated like the rest of the learning agreement, in other words, have it signed, keep a copy, and send a copy to your University of Galway academic coordinator and the University of Galway International Office.
Traineeship Certificate
Find it at www.universityofgalway.ie/erasmus-programme/outgoingstudents/erasmustraineeships/#tab3
This is another extremely important document and makes up the final section of the learning agreement. It’s the official confirmation from your host organisation that the traineeship was completed satisfactorily, as agreed previously in the original learning agreement. The form should ideally be typed, but if it is being handwritten, then you should print the page out for your host organisation supervisor and expand the sections so as to allow plenty of space to fill it in in detail. You should wait till the very end of the traineeship to have the form completed.
In terms of the “detailed programme” and the “knowledge and skills”, it would be expected that this would reflect the information already given in the first section of the original Learning Agreement, unless the activities and outcomes did not match what had been originally envisaged. The host organisation representative MUST complete the “evaluation of the trainee”, and the document must have this person’s signature and the organisation’s stamp. On no account do you complete the “evaluation of the trainee” yourself – it’s your employer’s appraisal of your performance that’s being sought here, not your feedback on your experience.
Normally we would expect to see at least a couple of sentences in this “evaluation” section. It’s acceptable for the host organisation to append signed supporting documentation to the certificate, but there should be a clear link between this and the “Evaluation of the Trainee”. It will not suffice for the host organisation representative to simply write “very good” or “pass” as an evaluation of your performance; they must provide more detail or refer to some other document where further detail is provided.
The dates shown on the Traineeship Certificate must show a duration of at least two full months.
You should send your Traineeship Certificate to the International Office, but please do not send it until you have checked to make sure that all sections are properly completed and that the document has been signed and stamped. We only need the Traineeship Certificate, and not the entire Learning Agreement again. You can send it by post, deliver it to our office or send it by email – a scanned copy will be ok, as long as the signature and stamp are clear.
Participant Report
You will receive a request by email from the European Commission to complete an online participant report/survey. Please check your junk email regularly, as this email has been known to go into people’s spam folders.
OLS language assessment #2
If you already took an OLS placement test, then you should take another one at the end of your traineeship.